Truncation symbols
One easy way to save typing time is to truncate search terms. Truncating words is telling the computer to search for words beginning with the letters typed in, and ending with any letters. For example, to search for any of the terms environment or environmental or environmentally, simply type environment followed by a truncation symbol and the computer will search for any words beginning with the word environment. The question mark (?) and the asterisk (*) are the most common truncation symbols. Be sure to check the online help for each database or ask library faculty for assistance in finding the correct truncation symbol for the database being searched.
For example, if you wanted to find the words environmental and environmentally, you could type environmental with a truncation symbol after the l. If you were using Ethnic Newswatch, you would type environmental*. There are more examples
of truncated search terms at the bottom of this page.
Wildcard Symbols
Wildcard symbols are a variation of truncation. Wildcards allow you
to place a symbol inside a word, and will tell the database that any character
in that space is acceptable. For example, if you wanted to search for the
words woman or women in Ethnic Newswatch, you could type wom?n.
Depending on the database that you were using, that symbol would change.
Symbols for databases at Pierce College Library
Here are some examples of truncation symbols used in some of the indexes
available in Pierce College Library:
| Database |
Truncation symbol |
Wildcard symbol |
| Ebscohost |
* |
? |
| ProQuest Direct |
? |
* |
|
Ethnic Newswatch
|
* |
? |
| ERIC |
* |
? |
| Westlaw |
* |
Not Available |
| PubMed |
? |
* |
| NY Times |
? |
* |
| Seattle Times |
* |
? |
| Pierce College Library Online Catalog |
? |
Not Available |
| LaserCat |
Not Available |
Not Available |
More examples of truncated search terms
-
comput*
-
finds computer, computers, computing, computerized
-
diet*
-
finds diet, diets, dietary, dietician
-
ecolog*
-
finds ecology, ecological, ecologist
-
econ*
-
finds economic, economics, economist, economy
-
environment*
-
finds environment, environmental, environmentally
-
injur*
-
finds injury, injuries, injured, injuring
-
insur*
-
finds insurance, insurability, insure
